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Can I become a 「定住者」 with no income while raising my own child?

Foreigners Employment Support Organization (FESO)　／　Published 13 January 2026　／　Last updated 21 August 2026

This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）

Answer

Even with no income at the time of the application, if you are raising your own child who has Japanese nationality, a 「定住者」 visa can still be granted where you can show that you intend to work and that people around you will support you. Showing that you intend to look for a job, and evidencing how you will live in the meantime, means preparing in concrete terms to answer one question: can you rebuild your life from here?

What is this enquiry about?

A woman who has lived in Japan on a spouse visa for 6 years asks whether she can apply for a 定住者 visa with no income, as her divorce approaches.

Subject: 定住者 (Long-Term Resident status where you are raising your own child)
Situation: the enquirer has lived in Japan for 6 years on a 在留資格「日本人の配偶者等」 (Spouse or Child of Japanese National) visa. Her divorce looks likely to go through, and she wants to take parental authority over her 1歳 (one-year-old) child, who has Japanese nationality, and raise the child in Japan. She was a full-time homemaker and so has no income now, but she intends to look for work and stand on her own feet.
Question: can a 「定住者」 visa be granted if she applies with no income? How can she show that she is able to support the child?

Can a 「定住者」 visa be granted with no income?

Even with no income at the time of the application, permission is possible where you are raising your own child.

The Regional Immigration Services Bureau does not only ask whether you have money now. It weighs up whether you have a base from which you can raise the child from here on. If you have no income, the following material is useful.

That you hold parental authority over your own child who is a Japanese national: the parents of that child do not necessarily have to be married.
That you intend to look for work: show this in concrete terms, for example with your registration card from Hello Work, or material showing that you have applied for jobs.
Evidence of living costs for the time being: the division of property or the settlement money from the divorce, or a copy of your own savings passbook. If relatives or friends in Japan can support you, a 身元保証書 (Letter of Guarantee) or a written statement of that support.
Public assistance and child support: child support from your husband, and the child-rearing allowance you can claim after the divorce, also count towards your livelihood. Receiving public assistance for a time does not, by itself, mean that your application will be denied.

How are cases of raising your own child judged?

For the welfare of the child, the livelihood requirement tends to be eased compared with a single person seeking Long-Term Resident status after divorce.

Where you are raising your own child who has Japanese nationality, humanitarian considerations mean that the livelihood requirement tends to be eased, compared with a single person seeking Long-Term Resident status after divorce. It serves the welfare of the child for a child with Japanese nationality to grow up in Japan in the care of the mother, and the Regional Immigration Services Bureau leans towards allowing the stay wherever it can. If you have already lived in Japan for a long time and have no difficulty with the language or with daily life, that is a positive point, because it suggests that you are likely to find work here.

What should I do right away?

Speak to your municipal office, find a guarantor, and write a detailed 理由書.

Speak to your municipal office: after the divorce, ask your city or ward office about the public support you can use, such as the child-rearing allowance and the housing security benefit. The fact that you sought that advice is itself treated as an effort to stand on your own feet.
Find a guarantor: until you are financially independent, having an acquaintance or a relative with a stable income act as your 身元保証人 (guarantor) greatly improves your chances.
Write a detailed 理由書 (written explanation): set out why you were a full-time homemaker, your plan for looking for work, and your resolve to live in Japan for your child.

Not having a job lined up at the time of the application is never in itself a reason for denial. What matters is presenting a concrete road map for how you will rebuild your life from here.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I have no income when I apply, is that alone enough for a denial?

Having no income is not, by itself, enough for an immediate denial. What matters is showing in concrete terms that you intend to look for work and that people around you will support you.

Is the livelihood requirement eased when I am raising my own child?

For humanitarian reasons it is said to tend to be eased, compared with a single person seeking Long-Term Resident status after divorce.

Will receiving public assistance for a time cause a denial?

It is said that receiving public assistance for a time does not, by itself, mean that your application will be denied.

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This article provides general information. Immigration rules change, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please check the Immigration Services Agency website or consult a qualified specialist.
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.